The Illinois Railway Museum held a fantrip earlier today on the CTA using a four-car train of 2200-series “L”/Subway cars. The goal was to raise money to help purchase a pair of these cars as they near the end of their service lives after 44 years. (CERA ran a similar trip using 2200s last November. You can read about it here.)

Heading northbound approaching Howard, the fantrip train passes a Yellow Line train changing ends. (Photo by David Sadowski)

The service bulletin for today’s trip is here. The cars used were 2261-2262 and 2303-2304. This may end up being the final charter trip ever using the 2200s. Since I rode on the similar CERA trip last November, this time I acted as a “trainspotter,” trying to get wayside photos.

Today’s trip started out at Rosemont, where the 2200s are stored. The train headed downtown over the Blue Line, and then up the ramp to what we now call the Pink Line (formerly the Douglas Park “L”) to 54th Avenue. Then the fantrip continued by going back downtown via the Loop “L”, and out to Midway on the Orange Line. This was followed by a jaunt out to Harlem (Green Line) in Forest Park.

After a lunch break downtown, the charter went north to Howard on the Red Line, and then out to Dempster on the Yellow Line (former Skokie Swift).

With Dan Ryan out of commission for five months as it is being rebuilt literally from the ground up, the 2200s then followed the temporary Red Line reroute via the South Side “L”, at least to 37th, where they turned back. Then it was back downtown and out over the Paulina Connector, where the train made a quick reversal of direction and then proceeded down the ramp, ending the day at Rosemont where things had started.

The sun did not cooperate; the day remaining fairly cloudy throughout, but today’s charter was still a fitting tribute to a handsome class of cars that has served the CTA very well over the years. We look forward to a time when some 2200s are out at IRM, fitted with trolley poles of course, where we will greet them like old friends. We salute IRM for their efforts in preserving historic rail cars such as these.

-David Sadowski

The 2200s enter Howard station for a 20-minute break. (Photo by David Sadowski)

The 2200s going southbound on the South Side “L” at 31st. (Photo by David Sadowski)

Northbound on the South side “L” at 31st. (Photo by David Sadowski)

Southbound on the Paulina Connector at Madison. (Photo by David Sadowski)

Southbound on the Paulina Connector at Madison. (Photo by David Sadowski)

Back on the Blue Line near Morgan, the fantrip train heads towards its final destination at Rosemont. (Photo by David Sadowski)

The new CTA map pays tribute to the 2200s on the cover.